Machine for making sheet-metal tubes



[No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. GOULD, Jr. MACHINE FOR MAKING SHEET METAL TUBES.

No. 519,182. Patented May 1,1894.

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JAMES GOULD, JR, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING SHEET METALTUBES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 519,182, dated May 1, 1894.

l Application filed October 23, 1893. Serial 110.488.94 6. (N model.)

I To aZZ whom it may concern:

the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of machines for making tubes of sheet metal, in which the metallic sheet is fed between rolls having dies for formingand shaping flanges upon its edges, and is then directed by a spiral sleeve to and wound-spirally upon amandrel inclined to the axes of the feed rolls, the flange on one edge of the outleading fold of the sheet engaging the flange upon the other edge of the inleading fold, said engaging flanges being then flattened'down together to form the seam, by means of an overlying presser wheel.

My invention consists of the constructions and combinations of devices which I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

Figure 1 is a planof my machine. Fig. 2

is a perspective detail of the directing sleeve.

and winding mandrel. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the mandrel. .Fig. 4 is an elevation'of the feed rolls. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line ocm of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail of rollers D'and D.

A is the main frame.

B andO are the feeding and edge flange forming rolls. The roll B has at one end a V-grooved counter die b with which a correspondingly shaped die 0 on roll 0 engages,

whereby the edgeof the metallic sheet S, passing between them is formed into a V-hook s. The other end of roll B has a straight faced shoulder b, which is overlapped by a straight faced die 0 on the end of roll 0, whereby that edge of the sheet S, is bent into a straight flange .9. Beyond these rolls is a platform plate a and an overlying cover plate a, both secu red properly to the main frame and formin g a passage between them. Under the cover plate are journaled horizontal rollers D and I). The roller D has a plain beveled face d and the roller D has also a beveled face, but broken by a circumferential offset (1. The faces of these rollers are separated byaspace in which the hook flange 3' of the sheet S passes, whereby said flange is bent outwardly,

' thus forming a hook better adapted to receive the straight flange s of the sheet inthe spim1 winding of the sheet as I shall hereinafter explain. roller D is to receive the bearing of the upper end of the hook flange s and to form a stop therefor. Under cover plate a is also The object .of the ofiset d of secured a guide plate E, the edge of whichreceives and guides the straight flanges of the sheet, as it travels on.

F is the winding mandrel mounted suitably in the frame and adapted to have arotary motion imparted to it. This mandrelis set at the proper inclination to the axes of the feed rolls and the direction of travel of thesheet S, to enable the latter to wind up spirally upon it, and-to bring the straight flange s of a previous and out-leading fold of the sheet up into engagement with the hook'flange s of a succeeding inleading fold of said sheet. Partially encircling the mandrel is the fixed directing sleevev G, separated from said mandrel by a space through which the sheet passes. This sleeve is spirally directed and is divided into two spaced sections forming the spiral slot 9 between them to receive and permit the passage of the straight flange s of the sheet. Upon a shaft h is mounted a presser wheel II, the periphery of which is provided with a groove 71. which receives the loosely engaging flanges s and s of the sheet and bears down upon them to press them against the mandrel and flatten and interlock them.

I is a grooved or channeled feed-table to direct. the sheet to the rolls B and 0. Over the channel of this table, just in advance of the rolls is a guard plate J, which serves to direct the sheet with precision tothe rolls.

Before proceeding to describe various de tails of construction relating to the several parts heretofore mentioned, it will be well to set forth the general operation of the machine.

The sheet of metal is directed by the feed table I and guard plate J to the rollers B and G. Passing between these it is fed forward by them and is, by means of their dies and shoulders, formed with the hook flange s on one edge, and with the straight flange s on the other edge. The hook flange s is subsequently, by the action of the rollers D and D, shaped more suitably, as described, and then the sheet reaching the mandrel enters the space between the sleeve G and the mandrel, the hook flange of the sheet passing along the end of the sleeve and its straight flange passing through the spiral slot. On account of the inclination of the mandrel to the axes of the feed rolls and the travel of the sheet,'the, latter being directed by the sleeve and being positively drawn forward by the rotation of the mandrel, will wind up spirally upon said mandrel. The straight flange s of the sheet, by reason 'of the guidance of slot 9 will uprise directly under and into the hook flange s of the inleading fold of the sheet, and immediately the wheel H will press and flatten the two flanges together, the necessary rolling contact being provided by the rotation of both wheel and mandrel. This whole operation is a continuous one, the sheet winding up on the mandrel and being gradually fed oif its free end. In this operation, the rotation of the mandrel is to be noted as an improvement over the common practice of forcing the sheet from behind, to

coil or bend around a stationary mandrel. In such an operation the least obstruction will stop the forming of the tube, but in my device,.in addition to'the feed of the rolls from behind, there is the positive pull and feed of the rotating mandrel, which renders the travel and winding of the sheet positive and certain. The upper roll B is mounted in vertically movable boxes b controlled by cushions b and set screws b. In this connection the limiting bar or stop I) is to be noted. This is a depending piece which is properly set to lie just over the movable boxes I) of the upper roll'B, and to limit their upward movement at a proper point. This point is determined by the clearance in the space between the directing sleeve G and the mandrel F. This clearance musthe sufficient to allow the joints .or seams by which the sheets are connected into a continuous strip, to pass freely. These joints or seams are of unequal thickness and if the upper roll B were unlimited in its yielding movement upwardly, it would permit seams to pass which would be too large for the space between the sleeve and mandrel. But by limiting the upward movement of the roll by means of the stop b the sheet joints or seams are all reduced and pressed down to a size which will enable them to pass freely through said space.

the different rolls.

The rolls B and G are driven by means 0: suitable intermeshing gears K.

In order to provide for different widths 0: sheets, the rolls B and C are mounted remov ably upon their shafts L, which are made long enough to receive rolls of diiferent lengths,anc removable washers Z are packed in to secure By diminishing and m creasing the number of these washers rolls oi different lengths may be fitted and securet upon the shafts. For a like purpose of re ceiving sheets of 'difierent widths, the chan: nel of the feed table I is adapted to be widenec by setting over that boundaryi which lies on the straight flange side of the sheet.

The mandrel may be mounted in any suitable manner. I have herein shown it as con 'sisting of a cylindrical body secured upon a spindle f to which a rotary motion is imparted as by power transmitted to thesprocket pul- Iey f upon its end. The spindle is mounted in a fixed bearing f carried and secured in a bracket f and upon 'one'end of this bearing the inner end of the mandrel is journaled and guided. This construction provides a simple and extensive bearing for the mandrel, the outer end of which is necessarily unsupported. The shaft h of the presser wheel H is mounted i-nsliding boxes h controlled by cushions h Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a machine for making tubes by winding spirally a series of metallic sheets, the combination, with a mandrel and directing sleeve separated from each other, of the upper and lower feed rolls for said sheet, said upper roll being mounted in vertically movable boxes controlled by cushions and set screws at both ends, and the depending pieces located between the eushions of each movable box and having their lower ends disposed just over the said boxes and adapted to arrest the movement of the boxes beyond a distance approxi:

mately equal to the' clearance in the space between the mandrel and directing sleeve whereby the seam is flattened to a uniform thickness before it enters said space.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand.

JAMES GOULD, JR.

Witnesses:

S. H. N OURSE, J. A. BAYLESS. 

